Disturbing the Quiescence
by DisturbedlittleGirl
Summary: The SeeD exam has just occured, but here enters a mysterious new character. Overly complicated version of what happenned before Timber. *Author's note*
1. Chapter 1: Disturbing the Quiescence

  


A/N: I know I probably won't get lots of readers, any maybe, just because this doesn't have a main character/main character lovie thing going on, but it doesn't make it bad, I promise. My machine capitalized some things I thought weren't right, but they might be technically correct. Trying to flesh out characters more and even added a new one, I know where its going…sorry…just read pretty please J   


Disclaimer: I am remotely aware I own none of these characters, save the ones I invented, and are therefore quite noticeable…   


When: Takes place before the second Sorceress war, after the SeeD exam, made this little time slot necessarily longer…   


Chapter 1: Disturbing the Quiescence   


It was a hazy, shadowy day; torrential rain had been drenching the Acalaud plains since daybreak and at 12'o'clock in the evening showed no signs of halting its impeding race to flood the Garden. The wind whistled about the trees, giving everything the thick aura of being stuck in an old mystery novel, and left the students to sit about contemplating which lightning flash would encompass the gunshot and hide it from their ears.   


The gateman had been working steadily since 7:38 am, arriving late due to the fact he ran his day by the sun, and took the time to read yesterdays' newspaper, today's being caught in a delivery truck in Balamb. Being the simpleton he was, brought out specifically by lack of time telling device, he skipped through the business section and began to read the comics. However somebody had snuck a weather report on the page and he groaned at the technicality of the numbers but then laughed when he read the only clearly printed information, 'sunny tomorrow'. Not one to mind things which made his work easier he began to turn the page and learn of some more of Garfield's' exploits.   


Lightning flashed for a moment, blinding him with its brilliance and suddenly thunder roared through the skies, physically making the ground tremble, almost in fear of the violent stab the storm brought about in its wake. The lightning attacked again and the man stared up, blinking purple sunspots from his eyes, it was then he saw her. Thin figurine clawing up from the ground. Momentary daylight disappeared and he lost sight of the obviously female figure he'd glimpsed heaving herself onto one of the turnstiles.   


They weren't expecting anyone, no one from town would make the trip in this weather and all out students were excused due to the fact the roads had become proverbial rivers.   


Thematic lightning flashed once more, he squinted to where she had just been, no, nothing. He had all but acquitted the beings' existence when something tapped the glass enclosure he was seated in, causing him to jump out of his chair and look down. In the faintest of light he saw a girl.   


~*~

  


Dr. Kadowaki had been rudely awoken in the middle of the night by a jarring voice on the intercom. She blinked before she could finally recognize the pleading voice at the other end and what the wielder was trying to convey.   


Phil, Balamb Garden's Gateman's rough voice sounded almost petrified as he buzzed the infirmary, Kadowaki's residence, "There's a girl, Doctor. Doctor, please come down here, she looks real hurt, I think she's bleedin' bad." The intercom clicked, waiting for a response of some variety from the doctor, Phil hoped instructing him when he felt so helpless.   


Dr. Kadowaki was suddenly flooded with the realization that someone was hurt but was cut off on her way jumping out of bed to the microphone by the gateman's voice once more, "There's a young man down here, he was wondering around, he's going to bring her to you."   


Kadowaki conveyed a note of comprehension through the electronic vocal system and began to prepare the emergency bed for the patient. She was covering the bed in paper when the most unlikely Good Samaritan walked in, almost self-consciously aware of his good deed and put to shame by it. Seifer Almsay walked over to the doctor and laid the girl down on the bed.   


"Do you know what happened to her," he breathed in rather shakily glancing down at his raven boots. He had been out past curfew when he had heard the gateman yelling for help and had rushed to find a girl curled up in a fetal position at the front gate, arm wrapped about a whip, clad in bloody brown fabric. The rather skinny man who had discovered had already tried to lug her up over his shoulder, and discovered his muscles-less body could no more support her then a T-rexaur. Seeing as he had already been found out, Seifer decided to help the woman out and he had, carefully although he'd never admit it, went about carrying her to the infirmary.   


The doctor had already started to take clothing off of her, causing Seifer to turn around, blushing. No, it wasn't that he hadn't seen a naked woman before; he simply hadn't seen one without her permission. Dr. Kadowaki's voice was urgent, speaking as she pushed an IV into the girl's gaunt arm, "Looks like she's been hurt bad, the gateman didn't know what happened?" She tapped the IV bag, starting the flow of fluid down the tube, completely ignoring to pause for Seifer's reply, "Seifer, call room 396, tell them there's an emergency in the Infirmary, be quick, then leave quick, I won't tell."   


If Seifer had taken the time to glance over at Dr. Kadowaki, who was giving him a half-hearted wink, he probably would have vomited at the site of the injuries. The appeared everywhere, like anger had been wracked upon the woman's average frame and then had decided to leave her for death, which had been chased away in the knick of time.   


In all truth, Seifer was quite antsy in that room. He hadn't been able to make a witty, sarcastic retort, nor had he been nipped at. So in all respects its no surprise he completely avoided the bed, fulfilled the doctor's request and ran his lanky blonde frame out of the infirmary.   


~*~

  


The rain had died out suddenly in the night, almost consistent with the arrival of the 'mystery girl', as the faculty and students of Balamb had come to christen the woman lying comatose in the infirmary.   


Eager students and SeeD wanting to test out their Triple Triad skills on Dr. Kadowaki (a former Garden Champion) had inquired about the unconscious young woman while losing miserably to the Doctor. True she had only revealed that she had showed up last night but young minds have a tendency to elaborate and contemplate as many obscure possibilities as possible. And this situation was just chock full of facts unanswered waiting to be lied about.   


"I heard she's from Balamb," Selphie spoke, tapping the cafeteria table trying to rid herself of excess caffeine. Zell, Squall and Selphie had congregated in the Cafeteria for lunch, or was it more Zell and Selphie congregated around an unwilling Squall. Either way the conversation, along with most others in the cafeteria, was beginning to be directly based on the speculation of the 'mystery girl'.   


Squall ran a hand through his chocolate brown hair and refused once more to comment. Though he'd never tell, he found this all a bit sophomoric, they had just succeeded at becoming the newest members of SeeD and now they were gossiping with the rest of the garden? Of course he was also bothered that people were getting quite so creative with the girls history and ignoring the possibility her car may have just broken down and she got attacked by a monster while looking for help. He punched himself mentally for the conjecture running about his brain.   


Alas, silence is easily broken when sitting at a table with two happy fully caffeinated people, and Zell began to rant as if he had been plotting the death of the peaceful quiescence all along, "How would anybody know? I just heard she's so disfigured the guy who took her to the infirmary won't even leave his room." He spoke in a matter-of-factly way, the style of a five year old child argue without reason or rhyme.   


"I don't think so…Nida, one of the SeeDs' who talked to Dr. Kadowaki, said she was pretty. How could he know if she was burned or something," she put on her best thinking face, cheeks puffed up, flecked eyes upward, then finally remembered to breath. She heaved a sigh and resumed her table drumming.   


Across the room Seifer stirred, catching the conversation of Squalls' table. She hadn't been that horribly hurt right? He, in fact, couldn't remember an instant where he had laid eyes on upon her face; he had just truly been trying to be careful. For a second he felt kind of bad, just a second. However, never one to doubt himself, he decided to visit the infirmary and hope for the girls miraculous recovery, maybe just so she could thank him.   


His posse, seated directly before him, had been stunned into silence. They were clearly staring at Seifer's deeply contemplative face, and continued to look on, confused, as he appeared to snap out of it. Seifer is an angry boy; deep calm thought is not exactly his thing. For Hyne sakes! The boy has a hit list!   


"WHATHA," Fuijin crammed two words together as to not forget her eccentric speech pattern. Okay, so maybe it was a stretch, but she tried really hard to make it one word.   


Raijin, perhaps more cautious after years of peer abuse, managed a meek, "ah, so what are ya' thinkin' about Seifer, that girl?" He contained the words 'ya know', tightly in his throat to avoid what Fuijin had been telling him lead to his perception as being a man lacking intelligence. They had been informed that Seifer had been the one to to take her to the infirmary, but were slightly distressed when he refused to give up details.   


Seifer glanced at both, wondering what could be the source of such mayhem at the table, only to realize it was his brain. Feeling as though it was none of their business Seifer rose from the table and got up to leave.   


He had gotten but ten feet from the table when Fuijin shouted, "BITCH!" and Raijin waited impeccably calmly for the woman's anger to pass.   


Seifer, fully used to Fuijin's arsenal of insults, all stemming from her rejection at the moment, continued to breeze past Squall's table and out of the cafeteria, narrowly missing Midge, the cafeteria lady with the son and husband (which he would know all about had he not been avoiding her due to her annoying reputation as an excessive conversationalist).   


True, the distance from the cafeteria to the infirmary was minimal, but it was indeed, enough time to start an internal conversation with himself. Mostly it was filled with this insane need to deflate someone's ego, or wreak revenge upon the headmaster for his punishment. But a little tiny bit of Seifer felt remorse and responsibility for what had happened, as well as deep regret. All hopes of fulfilling his dreams, the ones that included SeeD at least, were momentarily crushed and waiting to be rescheduled into his life.   


Of course, he had rounded the fountain by the time his deep thought had concluded he was screwed and was entering the infirmary when his mind blanked. He arrived only to a solemn nod from the knowing, but slightly out of date, Kadowaki and decided to enter the room the girl was in.   


The moment he saw the pale, gaunt girl he was stricken with an immense sense of deja'vu, unable to pick at the source of what seemed to be an emotional scar he decided to take a seat beside the bed.   


It was fully debatable, but the girl appeared to be around Seifer's age. Her hands had been wrapped in soft cotton bandages, placed at her sides almost engulfed in the ruffles of stiff industrialized bedding. When he looked up at her face he was half engulfed and half repulsed, for the lack of a better words. Three long gashes, drawn from the far left corner of her left eye to her hairline, stood prominently, stitches still visible through blackened skin. She was so pale it was almost as if someone had applied a bluish undertone to her skin. Other then these obvious drawbacks she appeared to be quite pretty, in an odd way. Large eyes, though deeply bruised, were the prominent feature of her face, and a slightly disproportioned mouth and nose struggled to compliment the rest. She would have appeared dead if not for the swirl of red hair haloing her head. It seemed to catch and capture the suns warm light and it crept in stealthily through the shades, somewhat afraid of the girl.   


Realizing it was quite hopeless for her to awaken at this moment, Seifer reveled in the disturbingly pretty girls aura for a moment before deciding to retreat to the training center. He had realized that violence was the only thing that could quell his intimidating nature.   


Almost as if she had been frightened into submission by the strange visitor, the woman in the bed proceeded to gasp, scream and then awaken from her comatose state as soon as Seifer had cleared out. Now there was only the question of what she had to tell…   


~*~

  


A/N: Please review! If you write you know how special that makes you feel! Constructive criticism please! No flames! If your going to insult my story better know how it could be made better or your pretty damn contradictory. I tried to create an imperfect, odd character, although you haven't really experienced her in this chapter. So stay tuned, its to include drama, irony, rejection, grudges and recollected romance. 


	2. Cloaked in Memories

A/N: Hmm, well, there was a "slight" gap in updates and writing, but its hard to write when one's muse has flown out the door in search of brighter horizons. At leas now I've managed to stumble out of my stupor, and forget how complicated life can become. Now that that random and completely unhelpful explanation is through with I will continue with the story. 

Disclaimer: NOT MINE! 

**

Cloaked in Memories

**

The light smoothly beamed in through the window, and the stark white infirmary was caught up in the seemingly bright and harmless sun of the moment. Excitement coarsed through the veins of the people present, Dr. Kadowaki, Nida, and two SeeDs who had been both engaging and observing a highly difficult triple triad match. The tense atmosphere of the game was all lost to the scream, a scream emanating from a seemingly lifeless girl. 

The four looked at the girl, sitting up in the bed, her eyes darting nervously from person to person. She appeared to be taking in too much, the sight of these four strangers, the inability to remember how she got there and why the characters before her were running about like headless mice taking notes on her and the machines that's were attached to her. Attached to her! She panicked and ripped the needles from her left arm out, and watched as blood began to drip from the minuscule holes. 

The girl fainted. 

---

"My oh my," Dr. Kadowaki was pacing about her office for about the hunderth time since she had sedated the girl in the other room. A weary looking new SeeD sat by the door, perspiration beading down his face, a bi product of the frantic race to contain the girls, ahem, eager spirit. 

When they saw that the girl had fainted they had simply slipped her a sedative, thinking all would go well. However, as it appears to happen most times in real life, that failed and the girl had re awoken and thrashed about again. Post second reawakening the girl was strapped to the bed and happily sleeping a drugged sleep adjacent to the worried doctor and her intern as he seemed to be working out to be. 

Both the doctor and Nida sighed, and then looked at one another with a bit of wonder. 

"HELP! Someone, please, help me!," a loud and raspy feminine voice called from the other room. The shock was still present in the undertones, but it had appeared to have subsided considerably since her first screaming fit. 

Nida started to stand, but the doctor simply looked at him and caused him to sit back down. "This, I believe, is between a doctor and a patient. And in a couple of years when you come back here with a degree and my retirement papers, you can talk to all the mysterious comatose patients you want," she winked, "But until then this may be confidential, or at least for awhile." 

Nida looked up at her in awe, but knew better then to argue with her. _Me, a doctor!_ And as if medicine had been doled out, Nida's pride was once again instilled and he strode confidently from the infirmary, but came to a thought outside the door and turned only to have the door slammed in his face. 

---

"Hello," Dr Kadowaki walked into the patients room, "I'm Dr. Kadowaki, please calm down, I know you're confused but you're safe. Your with a sane doctor and one of the most powerful military sources in the world, and we will cause you no harm." 

The girl was still wide eyed, staring with that deer caught in the headlights look. Her hair was a mess from the thrashing and, if it was possible, she seemed paler in fright then before at deaths doorstep. "But…but! Where AM I?" she prodded, shock and defeat in her eyes as she tried to break free of the restraints with one last heave. 

"You're in Balamb Garden, dear. And we're going to help you. Now just tell me your name and where you come from," she had a note pad in front of her now and a pen, and was looking up in anticipation of the girl's response. 

"I'm Minera…"she paused, and appeared thoughtful without contorting her face into one of the expressions commonly associated with reflection. 

"Minera what?," Dr. Kadowaki replied calmly. 

"Minera Anoric…I think. I know that's my first name, but the surname…well I'm not sure but I think that's right," she looked at the doctor, more calm then before. "Could you please undo the restraints, I find it hard to trust you when I'm trapped more then anything." 

"You have to promise not to run off, we're just trying to help you, remember that," Minera nodded and Dr. Kadowaki paced over and undid the buckles, allowing Minera to sit up in the bed. "Now, Minera, where are you from? Do you remember?" 

She looked upward, this time her reflection captured in the idiotic attempt to connect with her mind, she returned her gaze to observing eye of Dr. Kadowaki, "No." 

---

"Bonjour mes amies," Selphie bounced into the training center, ignoring the battles occurring left and right of her. She smiled and half bowed when she reached Squall and Zell. Of course, all of these actions were completely uncalled for, but she was, indeed, Selphie. 

"…Hi," Squall, covered in grat…juice…answered less then half-heartily, barely lifting an eye from the inspection of his gunblade. 

"Hey Selph. What's up," Zell was punching the air in his usual celebratory, anger, preparing, oh, well, it was probably his all encompassing Zell pose. He hooked a right and then relaxed his arms and looked at Selphie with a smile. 

"Not much, been workin' hard on garden festival. Squallie! You said you'd help me out! Remember?" Squall grumbled a meek 'whatever' and kneeled down to wipe his gunblade clean. 

"I bet it will be great with you planning it," Zell grinned goofily back at Selphie who had been looking at Squall. A smile then returned to her face and they stood there grinning like idiots. 

After about a minute Selphie looked a little shocked, and then she spoke, "I forgot what I came here for! The mystery girl woke up! Nida just told me. She's been awake for hours, maybe even days now, and only Nida and two SeeDs other then the doctor knew! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?" 

"Wow, I don't know if I ever thought she would wake up. Just seemed like she might slip away and away with her the hope of ever finding out what happened," Zell spoke excitedly and solemnly at the same time. It was easy to admit that the thought was rather morbid, and it was quite hard to believe that Zell was being so profound. 

"That's it! They know what happened to her! She was walking in the woods, they don't know where, and she was attacked by a t-rex unarmed. She didn't know what to do, so she got really beat up and eventually just played dead and then she saw the garden. So she got here and she's been here ever since," she breathed in to catch up on her interrupted interaction with her lungs. 

"So where is she from? And why was she in the woods? Which woods?" Zell probed. 

"She doesn't know!" Selphie's hands flew up in exasperation. 

"What do you mean she doesn't know," Squall joined in to the conversation he had been listening to the whole time, and looked up at Selphie with little expression. 

"Just what I said, she doesn't know. She has amnesia, temporary. That's why she remembers the attack, and nothing else, not even her last name!" Selphie explained animatedly. 

"Hmm…" Squall appeared to be thinking, but he was in fact simply cleaning his sword and had felt that he was being over informed on someones personal life. He ignored the probing stares for a response, and wiped the remaining side of her blade clean. 

"AND! Zell, this is the best part! She's going to be a student in the garden until everything gets straightened out," Selphie with such energy it was a wonder she didn't explode, or implode, or perhaps both simultaneously. 

---

"So, Dr. Kadowaki, you advise me to take this girl, Minera Anoric, as a student at this institution," Cid question for about the third time, still not quite grasping the "why" behind it all. After all, they had just spend several hundred Gil keeping her alive, and now to take her on as a student and house her, it all seemed rather convenient. It all seemed rather planned. 

"I know you Cid, and that look on your face. You're getting paranoid over a hurt little girl, and that's just not healthy. I can assure you that no one would go as far as she did to get in here. The front gates are all but wide open with our current gateman," she reassured the man. 

"Well…well…all right, I guess it couldn't hurt. And she did survive a t-rex attack unarmed and managed to walk," he pushed up his glasses and continued to reassure himself in his thoughts. _Yes, yes, the decision is the right one. She is just a child._

"Thank you Cid," Dr. Kadowaki smiled. _Mission: successful_. "Would you like to see your newest student?" 

"Sure, always customary to at least see the new students isn't it," he strode towards the patient door, and walked inside. 

When he walked in he was struck with a sudden sense of recognition, for the figure on the bed looked like someone. He couldn't really recall who, but it was obvious that it was too vague so he gave up. The girl did look rather angelic, in that fiery she devil siren sort of way. He sighed, and decided not to wake her, she had many long days to come. 

"Sleep well Minera, you're going to have a busy couple of months," he spoke before exiting the room. 

---

Seifer had heard now. It seemed as though the whole garden had heard it. 

The mystery girl was no longer a passive object, but a living, talking bundle of un-knowledge in a way. She had no clue where she was from, why she was in the woods, or how, in fact, she was living anytime prior to her arrival her at the ever hospitable Balamb Garden. 

Seifer wrapped his strong hand around the warm cup of coffee he had been staring blankly into with thought for the last few moments. He lifted it to his lips and took a sip, savoring the thick, bitter flavour of the brewed drink. 

It would only be a matter of time now, before the rumor mills restocked and started up again, always moving forward we were. He tried to savour his last few moments of being alone, taking long sips of his drink and partaking in some deep thought. 

_Talking monkeys, that's all that we are. Monkeys with opinions. Just talking monkeys. _ Someone had said that once. A long time ago, someone with a bitter wisdom beyond their age. 

"Talking monkeys……………" 

---

"And you, Selphie, will be showing Minera around Balamb for awhile, if that's alright with you," Dr. Kadowaki was talking to SeeD Tilmit in her office. A few days had passed since Minera had woken up, and the buzz around the garden was reaching chain saw decibels. 

"OF COURSE!" Selphie jumped up and hugged the doctor, "This will be the best time ever! Ever, ever ever…!" 

And with that, Dr. Kadowaki regretted her rash reasoning. 

**---**


End file.
